Seat



Patented Oct. 19, 1954 ,flfwl SEAT lineari Christie. sulla. England Application December 2, 1952, Serial No. 323

8 filaires 1 This invention relates to seats, such as chairs, settees or the like, in which a exible hammock member slung between upper and lower anchor. ages in a seat frame is adapted to. support the body from the shoulders to the underside of the knees, and is particularly concerned with improvements in such seats of the kind in which means associated with the upper anchorage is4 provided for adjusting the initial curvature of the flexible hammock member.

While. the invention is of general application to seats of the kind referred to, it is of particular utility in connection with seats in which the front part of the flexible hammock member is sup-v ported on a thigh-frest which is transverselyv pivoted or spring-mounted so as to enable the, angle of the body of the user to be varied as desired. It has been found that for different sizes and weights of persons, the initial curvature of the flexible hammock member is a very important factor in sitting comfort. For instance, if the initial curvature of the flexible hammock member is tooK great, the support to the small of the back is considerably reduced, while if too small, the bodyangle will be unsuitable, for maximum com-f fort. The necessary adjustment of the initial curvature of the iiexible hammock member is very critical as even a small variation will make a considerable difference to sitting comfort and it is therefore essential that the adjusting meansassociated with the upper anchorage should be capable of effecting small and accurate adjustments` oi' the curvature of the flexible hammock member whereby full and most comfortabler sup. port of the body of any individual person can be readily obtained and thereafter maintained if required by such further adjustment as may bel necessary to compensate for stretching which may take place in the Various materials used for making the flexible hammock member.

The present invention has for its object to provide an improved, simple and conveniently operable construction of seat-adjusting means whereby the initial curvature of the exible hammock member may be readily set or adjusted as required to provide maximum sitting comfort.

According to the present invention, in a seat of the kind referred to, the adjusting means comprisesA a cross-bar or the like to which the upper end of the flexible hammock member is connected, said cross-bar or the like being movable in relation to the seat frame, and screw means co-operating with said cross-bar or the like for adjusting its position for tightening or slackening the flexible hammock member.

2. Preferably the said cross-.bar or thev like is mounted forV movement in an upward and down-. ward direction in, relation to4 the seat frame.

More specifically, the invention includes a seat of the kind referred to, comprising a flexible hammock cushion, a pivoted or spring-mounted thigherest supporting the lower end portion of the cushion, and an upper anchorage in the` form of a cross-.bar or the like supporting the upper end portion of the cushion, characterised in that said cross-,bar or the like is movable in an upf ward and downward direction in relation to the. seat frame, and screw. means co-operating with the said cross-.bar crv the like. is provided for ad. justing the position of said crosssbar or the like, in relation to the seat frame.

In a preferred construction of the, adjusting means, the. screw means comprises an eye-.bolt or the like disposed to coact with the cross-.bar or the. like at a middle position in its length and engaging a correspondingly screwed member care ried by a cross-rail of the seat frame.

In one embodiment, the upper end portion of the. ilexible hammock member is connected to and directly supported by the adjustable cross-A bar or the like.

In a modification, a flap or extension attached to the upper end of the flexible hammock meme ber passes over a roller or bar at theV rear. upper part of the seat frame and is connected to the adjustable cross-bar or the like. The crossfbar or the like may be located by guidey means so as to be slidable in relation to the seat frame.

The invention is hereinafter described, by wayY of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a part sectional side elevation of a seat of the kind referred to provided with means in accordance with the invention for adjustingthe initial curvature of the flexible hammock cushion;

Fig. 2 .is a detail perspective view from the rear of the adjusting means; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation illustrating a modication of the adjusting means shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In carrying the invention into effect according to a preferred embodiment, as illustrated in Eigs. 1- and 2 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, the invention is shown in its application to a seat in which a flexible hammock member in the form of a cushion l has its front end 2 connected to and supported by a pvotally or spring mounted thigh-rest 3. According to the invention the hammock cushion is provided near its upper end with a flap 4 sewn or otherwise fixed at a predetermined position on the back of the cushion, and this flap 4 is xed to a cross-bar 5 which is adjustable vertically in relation to the seat frame 6. For this purpose, the cross-bar 5 may be provided near its ends with clearance holes for two guide pins I xed to and projecting upwardly from a cross-rail 8 secured between side bars of the seat frame 6. Furthermore, the ends of the cross-bar 5 or the like are tted with means, such as plates 9 projecting therefrom to slidably engage vertical side members I6 or grooves therein to take the strain o the guide pins 1 when the chair is occupied. At a middle position in its length the cross-rail 8 referred to is provided with a screw device, such as an eye-bolt Il, having the eye l2 depending below the crossrail 8 and having its threaded part engaging a flanged nut i3, the flanged part of which rests on top of the cross-rail 8. The upwardly projecting end of the eye-bolt l l may be burred so as to prevent inadvertent withdrawal from the nut and may bear against a dimple plate Ill fixed to the underside of the cross-bar 5 or the like. If the back of the seat frame is covered in, as is usual, access to the eye-bolt for adjusting the length of the hammock cushion is readily obtained by lifting the cushion bodily upwards so that the eyebolt is exposed above the arm rests of the chair.

In the arrangement above described, the upper I part of the seat cushion is directly supported by the adjustable cross-bar 5 so that when the crossbar 5 is raised or lowered, the upper portion of the exible hammock cushion is likewise raised or lowered to vary the initial curvature.

In a modification, as illustrated in Fig. 3, instead of the cross-bar 5 or the like to which the upper end of the hammock cushion I is anchored being movable in the upward direction to tighten the cushion, a flap l5 attached to the cushion l may pass over a roller l5 or bar and be connected to an adjustable cross-bar 5 or like anchorage which, by means of a screw device Il, is pulled down for tightening the cushion. In this arrangement, the adjustable cross-bar 5 may be located by means of guide pins 'i and plates 9 as in the previous embodiment. The eye-bolt H passes through a clearance hole in the cross-bar 5 and at its upper end is provided with a nut Il and lock nut i8, a washer I9 under the nut Il resting on the top of the cross-bar 5. The threaded part of the eye-bolt i l engages a flanged nut i3, the nange of which abuts the underside of the cross-rail 8. In this arrangement adjustment of the cross-bar 5 varies the effective length of the flexible hammock cushion between the upper roller l5 or bar and the thigh-rest 3 with consequent variation in the initial curvature of the cushion.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments hereinbefore described as any other suitable screw adjustment means may be associated with the upper anchorage in any suitable manner for varying'the initial curvature of the nexible hammock member in the manner described.

Furthermore, it will b-e understood that the invention enables chairs to be manufactured and supplied with the flexible hammock cushion set to the optimum position and, as stretching takes place, the user can readily adjust the cushion as required. Furthermore, if the user requires more 0r less depth in the seat, this is readily obtainable by adjusting the hammock cushion in the manner described.

What I claim is:

l. A seat comprising a seat frame, a flexible hammock member supported thereon, and means for adjusting the initial contour of said hammock member; said adjusting means comprising a cross-bar to which the upper end of the flexible hammock member is connected, said cross-bar being movable in relation to the seat frame, and screw means co-operating with said cross-bar for adjusting its position for tightening or slackening the flexible hammock member.

2. A seat according to claim 1, wherein the said cross-bar is mounted for movement in an upward and downward direction in relation to the seat frame.l

' 3. A seat according to claim 2, in combination with cooperating means carried by said seat frame and cross-bar for guiding the movements of said cross-bar.

4. A seat of the kind referred to, comprising a seat frame, a exible hammock cushion, a thighrest movably mounted on said seat frame and supporting the lower end portion of the cushion, and an upper anchorage in the form of a cross-bar supporting the upper end portion of the cushion, said cross-bar being movable in an upward and downward direction in relation to the seat frame, and screw means co-operating with the said crossbar for adjusting the position of said cross-bar in relation to the seat frame.

5. A seat according to claim 4, in combination with pivot means supporting said thigh-rest upon said seat frame.

6. A seat according to claim a, wherein said seat frame includes side bars and a cross-rail secured between th-e same below the tops thereof, and the screw means comprises an eye-bolt disposed to coact with the cross-bar at a middle position in its length and engaging a correspondingly screwed member carried by said cross-rail of the seat frame.

'7. A seat according to claim 1, wherein the upper end portion of the flexible hammock member is connected to and directly supported by the adjustable cross-bar.

8. A seat according to claim 1, wherein said seat frame includes side bars and a roller supported between same above said cross-bar and a flap or extension attached to the upper end of the flexible hammock member passes over said roller and is connected to the adjustable cross-bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,045,599 Y Ostendorf Nov. 26, 1912 1,543,612 Pascaud June 23, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 41,720 Sweden Dec. 20, 1916 146,221 Austria June 25, 1936 ma "nrc 

